Giants find no gray area concerning expectations for rookie Abdul Carter

Abdul Carter has a new address in the Giants’ locker room.

He’s no longer on Afterthought Island, the bunch of subpar, nicked-up, wood-paneled particle-board stations floating in the middle of the floor where nomadic practice squadders, occasional tryouts and bottom-of-the-roster transients often find themselves marooned. And yes, during the crowded days of training camp with 90 or so players in there, it is where even rookies selected third overall find themselves washed ashore.

But when Carter came to work this week he had a new full-sized locker up against the wall. That’s where the veterans and starters reside.

“I’m loving it,” he said. “I’m moving up in the world.”

Welcome to Area 51.

It’s a quiet place, a little out of the way, tucked into a corner, and that’s something he enjoys about his neighborhood. He’s next to Elijah Chatman, the defensive tackle who also had the misfortune of being next to first-round pick Malik Nabers last year, so at least he knows what to do when the cameras and reporters come around looking for Carter as they inevitably will. Veteran linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles is on the other side of Carter. Tight end Daniel Bellinger and wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette are also in the immediate locale.

Good players, sure, but not a whole lot of starpower from them. On Wednesday after practice, the space around him was mostly empty as Carter patiently scissored off the layers of ankle tape he had worn on the field.

“I like the background where I’m at right now,” Carter told Newsday. “They put me in a pretty good spot. We’re in a good spot.”

Enjoy the silence, Abdul, because if things go the way just about everyone expects them to, it’s not going to last. Carter is just a few days away from his highly-anticipated NFL debut, the moment he’s been dreaming of just about as long as he can remember and the moment the Giants have been drooling over since they drafted him in April. If he comes anywhere close to the kind of production he seems capable of, solitude and anonymity will become long-lost pals.

Carter has been going about the business of preparing for Sunday’s game against the Commanders with the same simplicity and natural ease with which he plays. Nothing is overthought. He said he had a game week routine at Penn State but that has changed a bit now that he is with the Giants. Oh? In what way? Is he game faster or more complicated?

“It’s a different building and new people,” he said.

Of course. Duh.

He was asked what it will take to make this a successful season for himself.

“I just take everything one week at a time and at the end I’ll see where I am at,” he said. “We have to start this week against the Commanders then next week against whoever our opponent is.”

It’s the Cowboys, pal. The Giants are playing the Cowboys next week.

He hasn’t cut his hair in a while and said he won’t until he gets his first NFL sack. Will that come Sunday against Jayden Daniels?

“Hmmm,” he said contemplating that one. “We’ll see what happens.”

While Carter himself is not a man of many words, the rest of the Giants can’t stop talking about him and what they expect from him beginning Sunday.

“He’s a lightning bolt out there,” said second-year tight end Theo Johnson who played with Carter at Penn State. “I’m super excited to see him get let out of the stables this week. I think it’s going to be really special to see.”

“I think he’s going to show everybody why we picked him that high,” Nabers said.

Against a mobile quarterback like Daniels, Carter could be the neutralizing factor.

“He can definitely keep up with Jayden,” said Nabers, Daniels’ college teammate at LSU. “He’s got some wheels on him. He ain’t faster than me but Jayden ain’t faster than me either so I know he can keep up.”

Not long ago — or maybe it was since he is entering his seventh season — Dexter Lawrence was a first-round pick on defense making his first start. His advice for Carter?

“Just go out and be himself, be who got him here,” Lawrence said. “There is a lot you are still going to have to learn as a rookie but don’t overdo yourself. Just go play football, have fun, enjoy the moments, and show who you are.”

And, Lawrence added, have a sack dance ready. He said he doesn’t know what Carter’s will look like since he didn’t have a sack in the preseason.

“He has to earn that I guess,” Lawrence said.

Carter earned his locker. Perhaps on Sunday he’ll earn the dance.

“He’s Abdul Carter,” Lawrence said. “That’s all I will say. He’s Abdul Carter. He’s just different.”

Life is about to get different for him, too.

Days like Wednesday, where he was able to contentedly blend into the background of Area 51, seem like they will soon be very fleeting for him.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.